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The Octavius of Minucius Felix

Minucius Felix

Chapter 15

About this work

A polished Latin dialogue in which pagan and Christian friends debate providence, Roman religion, accusations against Christians, resurrection, and the philosophical credibility of Christian monotheism.

Author: Minucius Felix
Date: Late 2nd or early 3rd century
Origin: Rome or North Africa
Genre: Dialogue

The work’s date relative to Tertullian and the author’s geographical setting remain debated.

Chapter XV.—Argument: Cæcilius Retorts Upon Minucius, with Some Little Appearance of Being Hurt, that He is Foregoing the Office of a Religious Umpire, When He is Weakening the Force of His Argument. He Says that It Should Be Left to Octavius to Confute All that He Had Advanced.

“You are withdrawing,” says

‹ Chapter 14 Chapter 16 ›

Cæcilius

,

“

from

the

office

of

a

religious

judge

;

for

it

is

very

unfair

for

you

to

weaken

the

force

of

my

pleading

by

the

interpolation

of

a

very

important

argument

,

since

Octavius

has

before

him

each

thing

that

I

have

said

,

sound

and

unimpaired

,

if

he

can

refute

it

.

”

“

What

you

are

reproving

,

”

said

I

,

“

unless

I

am

mistaken

,

I

have

brought

forward

for

the

common

advantage

,

so

that

by

a

scrupulous

examination

we

might

weigh

our

decision

,

not

by

the

pompous

style

of

the

eloquence

,

but

by

the

solid

character

of

the

matter

itself

.

Nor

must

our

attention

,

as

you

complain

,

be

any

longer

called

away

,

but

with

absolute

silence

let

us

listen

to

the

reply

of

our

friend

Januarius

,

who

is

now

beckoning

to

us

.

”

Notes

1
Scil. “Octavius.”